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Lava flow from Hawaii volcano could last for weeks — and paper masks won't keep you safe

Lava from the Kilauea volcano was burning through the rain forest Tuesday and is about 2 miles from pouring into the ocean, raising the likelihood the Big Island is about to get a little bigger from a flow that could persist for weeks — and could cause serious health problems.

Lava flow from Hawaii volcano could last for weeks — and paper masks won't keep you safe

Nearly 20 fissures have opened since the Kilauea volcano started erupting almost two weeks ago. A fissure that opened Sunday led authorities to order 10 people to flee their homes, Hawaii County Managing Director Wil Okabe said. (May 15)
AP

The Puna Geothermal Venture power plant sits in the jungle near the lava flows running through the Leilani Estates neighborhood. Area residents worried the geothermal plant would be damaged by the lava, setting ablaze the liquid used to transfer heat energy to the generators.(Photo: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY)

PAHOA, Hawaii — Lava from the Kilauea volcano was burning through the rain forest Tuesday and is about 2 miles from pouring into the ocean, raising the likelihood the Big Island is about to get a little bigger from a flow that could persist for weeks — and could cause serious health problems.

Health officials at a community meeting Monday night cautioned residents that most commonly available face mask filters — the paper kind used for sanding and painting —would protect only against ash and won't remove the sulfur dioxide.

"Severe conditions may exist such as choking and inability to breathe," the county's Civil Defense Authority warned. "This is a serious situation that affects the entire exposed population."

The best solution is to simply leave the area, health officials say. Other options include staying indoors with the windows shut and the air conditioning running or doing the same inside a car, with the “recirculate air” button on.

The lava has already forced the evacuation of nearly 2,000 people and destroyed at least 36 structures, including 26 homes in a rural neighborhood about 35 miles from Hilo, the island’s largest city.

Plumes of poisonous gases accompanying the flows are killing off trees and grasses left untouched by the lava, and health officials warn the gases pose a significant health risk to anyone in the area. Journalists are banned from the areas where the lava is most active, although government scientists are monitoring the flows.

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This handout photograph obtained July 16, 2018, courtesy of the US Geological Survey, shows laze plumes rising where lava pours into the sea on the south margin of the fissure 8 flow of the Kilauea volcano, July 15, 2018 in Hawaii.
USGS via AFP/Getty Images

This photo provided by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources shows damage to the roof of a tour boat after an explosion sent lava flying through the roof off the Big Island of Hawaii Monday, July 16, 2018, injuring at least 23 people. The lava came from the Kilauea volcano, which has been erupting from a rural residential area since early May.
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources via AP

A handout photo made available by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources shows lava on top of the Boat Tour vessel after it was hit by a 'lava bomb', debris thrown by a lava explosion, while viewing lava flowing from the Kilauea volcano in Pahoa, Hawaii on July 16, 2018.
HAWAII DLNR / HANDOUT, EPA-EFE

A police officer secures the tour boat "Hot Spot" for the arrival of inspectors Monday, July 16, 2018, at the Wailoa Small Boat Harbor in Hilo, Hawaii. An explosion caused by lava oozing into the ocean sent molten rock crashing through the roof of the sightseeing boat off Hawaii's Big Island Monday, injuring at least 23 people.
John Burnett, Hawaii Tribune-Herald, via AP

An active ocean entry on June 16, 2018 in the vicinity of Vacationland, as the interaction of hot lava with the ocean creates, laze, a corrosive seawater plume laden with hydrochloric acid and fine volcanic particles that can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs, but that dissipates quickly with distance at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii.
AFP/Getty Images

Fissure 8 lava fountain as it pulses to heights of 165 feet within a cinder spatter cone on June 17, 2018, as Fissure 8 feeds lava into the well-established channel that flows to the ocean at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii.
HO, AFP/Getty Images

Steam and ash rise from new land formed by lava from KIlauea Volcano where the bay and village of Kapoho once stood on the island of Hawaii June 13, 2018. The new coastline, following the ragged lava-ocean interface, is approximately 1.3 miles in length.
U.S. Geological Survey via AP

Lava flows from Kilauea volcano in Pahoa, near the southern coast of Hawaii Island, June 14, 2018. The ongoing eruption of Kilauea is the largest in decades.
TECH. SGT. ANDREW JACKSON, US National Guard via EPA-EFE

In this Sunday, June 10, 2018 photo from the U.S. Geological Survey, fissure 8 below Kilauea Volcano continues to erupt vigorously with lava streaming through a channel that reaches the ocean at Kapoho Bay on the island of Hawaii.
U.S. Geological Survey via AP

Most of the Kapoho area including the tide pools is now covered in fresh lava with few properties still intact as the Kilauea Volcano lower east rift zone eruption continues on June 6, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii.
LE Baskow, AP

Fissure 8 continues to blast fresh lava several hundred feet in the air and flow towards Kapoho as the Kilauea Volcano lower east rift zone eruption continues on June 6, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii.
LE Baskow, AP

The caldera on the Kilauea Volcano emits a small amount of steam with the lower east rift zone eruption lava access point in Kapoho putting out much more in the distance continues on June 6, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii.
LE Baskow, AP

This photo provided by U.S. Geological Survey shows an aerial view of ocean entry at Kapoho Bay, Hawaii on June 5, 2018. Lava destroyed hundreds of homes in a mostly rural Hawaii area overnight, a county spokeswoman said. A morning overflight confirmed that lava completely filled Kapoho Bay, inundated most of Vacationland and covered all but the northern part of Kapoho Beach Lots, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
U.S. Geological Survey via AP

This photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows lava fountaining at a fissure near Pahoa on the island of Hawaii Tuesday, June 5, 2018. Lava from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano destroyed hundreds more homes overnight, overtaking two oceanfront communities where residents were advised to evacuate last week, officials said Tuesday.
U.S. Geological Survey via AP

This image taken from video on Monday, June 4, 2018, and provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows lava from a fissure flowing into the ocean at Kapoho Bay at Kapoho on the island of Hawaii. After overrunning the town overnight and destroying hundreds of homes, the lava flowed into the shallow bay and had nearly filled it.
U.S. Geological Survey via AP

This image taken from video on Monday, June 4, 2018 and provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows lava from a fissure flowing into the ocean at Kapoho Bay at the town of Kapoho on the island of Hawaii. See the structure at lower left for scale. The flow front was about a half-mile wide, with lava building a delta a few hundred yards into the bay. Hundreds of homes were destroyed overnight.
U.S. Geological Survey via AP

A handout photo made available by the United States Geological Survey shows lava flow originating from Fissure 8 entering Kapoho Bay, Hawaii on June 4, 2018. The ongoing eruption of Kilauea is the largest in decades.
United States Geological Survey via EPA-EFE

In this Saturday, June 2, 2018, photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist documents the Fissure 8 flow southeast of Four Corners, the intersection of Highways 132 and 137, near Pahoa, Hawaii.
U.S. Geological Survey, United States Geological Survey via AP

In this Friday, June 1, 2018, photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Northern edge of the Fissure 8 flow front on the night of June 1, as it approached the intersection of Highways 132 and 137, known as "Four Corners" near Pahoa, Hawaii.
U.S. Geological Survey, United States Geological Survey via via AP

This image obtained June 1, 2018 from the US Geological Survey shows lava from fissure 8 as it advances on Kahukai Street, as much as 3.5 yards in height on May 31, 2018 from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii.
HO, United States Geological Survey via AFP/Getty Images

Kilauea's lower east rift zone eruption continues, as fissure 8 continues to effuse lava at a high rate, feeding a massive river that flows toward the coast in Pahoa, Hawaii on May 31, 2018.
Bruce Omori, Paradise Helicopters via EPA-EFE

This image obtained May 30, 2018 from the US Geological Survey shows tephra (airborne lava fragments) erupted by the high lava fountains of fissure 8 which were carried downwind, where the frothy rock fragments fell on Leilani Street on May 29, 2018, just past Kupono Street, in the Leilani Estates subdivision from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii.
Haze from the Kilauea volcano eruption in Hawaii blanketed the Marshall Islands 2,300 miles away on May 27, 2018, as officials warned it would continue moving west. The haze, a phenomenon known as "vog" or volcanic smog, "is spreading across Micronesia," the US National Weather Service based in Guam said.
US Geological Survey via AFP/Getty Images

This image obtained May 30, 2018 from the US Geological Survey shows Fissure 8 reactivated on the afternoon of May 29,2018 when, at times, lava fountains were reaching heights of 200 feet and feeding a lava flow that advanced to the northeast at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii.
US Geological Survey via AFP/Getty Images

Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure advances up a residential street in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 27, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. Lava from the volcano also flowed to a geothermal power plant today raising fears that toxic gas could be released if wells are breached by lava.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

A flow of lava moves to the doorsteps of the Puna Geothermal Venture facility near Pahoa, Hawaii on May 27, 2018. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the immediate area.
BRUCE OMORI/Paradise Helicopters, EPA-EFE

A new fissure eruption within Leilani Estates sends a fast moving flow of lava towards homes and property near Pahoa, Hawaii on May 27, 2018. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the immediate area.
BRUCE OMORI/Paradise Helicopters, EPA-EFE

This image released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) courtesy of the Hawaii Civil Air Patrol, shows an aerial view of Kilauea Volcano's summit caldera and an ash plume billowing from Halemaumau, a crater within the caldera, on May 27, 2018.
The USGSHawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's Jaggar Museum are visible on the caldera rim (C R) and the Kilauea Military Camp can be seen in the lower right.
HANDOUT, US Geological Survey / Hawaii Civil Air Patrol via AFP/Getty Images

A traditional hula practitioner (L) carries an offering while walking on a cooled recent lava flow from a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 27, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. Offerings were left in a ceremony for Madame Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire. Hula is a Hawaiian dance form accompanied by chants or songs which trace the history and culture of Hawaii.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

Traditional hula practitioners embrace before a ceremony where they left offerings at the edge of a lava flow from a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 27, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

A handout photo made available by the US Air National Guard on 27 May 2018 shows community members who lost their property to the volcanic activity looking at fissure number seven at dusk on Hawaii Island, Hawaii on May 26, 2018. The ongoing eruption of Kilauea is the largest in decades.
TECH. SGT. ANDREW JACKSON , US AIR NATIONAL GUARD via EPA-EFE

Lava glowing from a Kilauea fissure illuminates dying trees in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 26, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. The Big Island, one of eight main islands that make up Hawaii state, is struggling with tourist bookings following the Kilauea volcano eruptions, with summer bookings down 50 percent. Officials stress that the eruptions have thus far only affected a small portion of the island. Visitors spent $2.4 billion at the island in 2017.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

In this Friday, May 25, 2018 photo, Army National Guardsman Chief Warrant Officer Kandee Almond stands atop of the lava flow in the Leilani Estates area near Pahoa on the island of Hawaii. The Kilauea volcano has been erupting for three weeks, spewing lava from cracks that emerged in neighborhoods and sending ash sky-high from its summit.
George F. Lee, Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP

Resident Bill Hubbard enters his home as lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure illuminates the sky in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 25, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. Hubbard's home is currently located about 3 blocks from the lava.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

Zivile Roditis hugs Howie Rosin, left, shortly after Roditis' home was destroyed by lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure, in Leilani Estates, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 25, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. Lava glows in the background. Following a magnitude 4.4 earthquake today centered in the summit region of the Kilauea volcano, an ash plume was sent from the volcano at least 10,000 feet skyward, according to the National Weather Service.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

A handout photo made available by the United States Geological Survey shows channelized lava flows from fissure 22 and fissure 6 spilling into the ocean in the Kilauea lower East Rift Zone, Hawaii on May 24, 2018.
M. PATRICK/ UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY/EPA-EFE

Lava flows past the remains of a greenhouse as it makes its way to the ocean after erupting from a fissure at Kilauea's lower east rift zone in Pahoa, Hawaii on May 25, 2018. The ongoing eruption of Kilauea is the largest in decades, destroying more than 40 homes to date, and displacing thousands.
BRUCE OMORI/PARADISE HELICOPTERSEPA-EFE

Residents and members of the media are silhouetted as active lava fissures near what is now the end of Leilani Street continue to spew forth lava at Leilani Estates near Pahoa, Hawaii on May 24, 2018.
GEORGE F. LEE/HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER/AP

A handout photo made available by the United States Geological Survey shows channelized lava flows spilling into the ocean in the Kilauea lower East Rift Zone, Hawaii on May 24, 2018.
M. PATRICK/ UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY/EPA-EFE

Sarah Conway of the U.S. Geological Survey walks from a lava flow in the Leilani Estates subdivision in Pahoa, Hawaii. A team from the USGS was taking measurements and other readings in the area.
ROBERT HANASHIRO, USA TODAY

Lava from the Kilauea Volcano pours out of fissures in the earth creating an eerie nighttime scene on May 23, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii.
Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and one of five on the Big Island of Hawaii. It erupted May 3, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people from their homes located on the mountain. Scientists believe volcanic activity may be a precursor to a major eruption, similar to one that occurred on the island in the mid-1920s.
Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

Lava erupts in the air in Leilani Estates area near Pahoa, Hawaii on May 23, 2018. The Kilauea volcano has opened more than 20 vents in the ground that have released lava, sulfur dioxide and steam.
George F. Lee, Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP

The National Guard watches as a lava lake forms in the Leilani Estates subdivision, situated on Kilauea's East Rift Zone, on May 23, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii amid eruptions from the Kilauea volcano.
AFP/Getty Images

A dying plant stands near a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii's Big Island, on May 23, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. Trees and plants are dying near volcanic fissures due to the release of volcanic gases. Officials are concerned that 'laze', a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

Tourists take photos of steam rising from the entry point where lava from the Kilauea volcano hits the Pacific Ocean. The Kilauea volcano erupted on May 3, with the lava flow destroying 24 homes and causing the evacuation of 2,000 people.
ROBERT HANASHIRO/USA TODAY

Glow from the lava in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions is seen from Pahoa, Hawaii May 22, 2018.
Authorities in Hawaii have warned of dangerous "laze" fumes as molten lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano reached the Pacific Ocean. Two lava flows "reached the ocean along the southeast Puna coast overnight," on Hawaii's Big Island, the US Geological Survey, which monitors volcanoes and earthquakes worldwide, said in a statement May 20, 2018.
RONIT FAHL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Steam rises from the entry point where lava from the Kilauea volcano hits the Pacific Ocean on May 21, 2018. The Kilauea volcano erupted on May 3, with the lava flow destroying 24 homes and causing the evacuation of 2,000 people.
Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY

A handout photo made available by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on May 22, 2018 shows a lava fissure erupting in the air in Pahoa, Hawaii on May 19, 2018.
US AIR NATIONAL GUARD/SrA JOHN LINZMEIER HANDOUT, EPA-EFE

Steam plumes rise as lava enters the Pacific Ocean, after flowing to the water from a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii's Big Island on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that 'laze', a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

In this Saturday, May 19, 2018, photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey, lava flows from fissures near Pahoa, Hawaii. Kilauea volcano began erupting more than two weeks ago and has burned dozens of homes, forced people to flee and shot up plumes of steam from its summit that led officials to distribute face masks to protect against ash particles.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY VIA AP

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Chuck Anthony wears a gas mask as he stands next to a wall of lava entering the ocean near Pahoa, Hawaii, May 20, 2018. Kilauea volcano, oozing, spewing and exploding on Hawaii's Big Island, has gotten more hazardous in recent days, with rivers of molten rock pouring into the ocean and flying lava causing the first major injury.
JAE C. HONG/AP

In this image released by the US Geological Survey (USGS), the fissure 20 lava flow reaches the ocean on Hawaii's Big Island on May 20, 2018. When the hot lava flow hits the water it produces acid fumes known as "laze" - lava and haze. "The plume is an irritating mixture of hydrochloric acid gas (HCl), steam, and tiny volcanic glass particles," the USGS said.
Authorities in Hawaii have warned of dangerous "laze" fumes as molten lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano reached the Pacific Ocean. Two lava flows "reached the ocean along the southeast Puna coast overnight," on Hawaii's Big Island, the US Geological Survey, which monitors volcanoes and earthquakes worldwide, said in a statement May 20.
US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HANDOUT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Members of the media record a wall of lava entering the ocean near Pahoa, Hawaii on May 20, 2018. Kilauea volcano, oozing, spewing and exploding on Hawaii's Big Island, has gotten more hazardous in recent days, with rivers of molten rock pouring into the ocean and flying lava causing the first major injury.
JAE C. HONG/AP

A USGS geologist inspects a recent lava flow from a Kilauea volcano fissure on Hawaii's Big Island on May 19, 2018 in Kapoho, Hawaii. The U.S. Geological Survey said the volcano erupted explosively on May 17 launching a plume about 30,000 feet into the sky.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

An aerial view of a massive flow of fast moving pahoehoe consuming everything in its path, as the flames from the remnants of one home burn (L), while it approaches another (R) in Pahoa, Hawaii, May 19, 2018. The ongoing eruption of Kilauea is the largest in decades, destroying more than 40 homes to date, and displacing thousands.
BRUCE OMORI/PARADISE HELICOPTERS/EPA-EFE

Lava erupts near a home inside Leilani Estates near Pahoa, Hawaii ib May 19, 2018. As lava flows have grown more vigorous in recent days, there's concern more homes may burn and more evacuations may be ordered.
JAMM AQUINO/HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER VIA AP

Residents view lava erupting from a Kilauea volcano fissure, at a small viewing party on a neighbor's porch, on Hawaii's Big Island on May 19, 2018 in Kapoho, Hawaii. Some local residents have held small viewing parties to view lava.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

A young resident keeps an eye on lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure erupting and flowing near her home on Hawaii's Big Island on May 19, 2018 in Kapoho, Hawaii. The U.S. Geological Survey said the volcano erupted explosively on May 17 launching a plume about 30,000 feet into the sky.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

Peter Vance, 24, photographs lava erupting in the Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa, Hawaii, May 18, 2018. Hawaii residents covered their faces with masks after a volcano menacing the Big Island for weeks exploded, sending a mixture of pulverized rock, glass and crystal into the air in its strongest eruption of sandlike ash in days.
Jae C. Hong, AP

Lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure on Hawaii's Big Island on May 18, 2018 in Kapoho, Hawaii. The U.S. Geological Survey said the volcano erupted explosively on May 17 launching a plume about 30,000 feet into the sky.
Mario Tama, Getty Images

A fissure eruption near the intersection of Hinalo St and Pohoiki Road, consumes a home as eruptive activity continues on Kilauea's east rift zone in Pahoa, Hawaii, May 18, 2018.
BRUCE OMORI, PARADISE HELICOPTERS, via EPA-EFE

Edwin Montoya records video as the lava shoots out of a fissure on Pohoiki Rd, May 18, 2018, near Pahoa, Hawaii. Montoya's daughter has a farm about a mile away from the lava fissures. The family fears the lava will destroy their farm.
Marco Garcia, AP

This US Geological Survey photo shows an aerial view of ground cracks on Pohoiki Road caused by the underlying intrusion of magma into the lower East Rift Zone in Leilani Estates, Hawaii on May 17, 2018.
AFP/GETTY IMAGES

This photo provided by U.S. Geological Survey shows the ash plume at the Kilauea Volcano, taken from a Mauna Loa webcam on May 17, 2018 in Hawaii. The volcano has erupted from its summit, shooting a dusty plume of ash about 30,000 feet into the sky. Mike Poland, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), confirmed the explosion on Thursday. It comes after more than a dozen fissures recently opened miles to the east of the crater and spewed lava into neighborhoods.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY/HVO VIA AP

Senior Airman Orlando Corpuz of the Hawaii Air National Guard gives the sign for a sulfur dioxide reading of zero, meaning it is safe to approach the area behind him, during a tour of the Leilani Estates area in Hawaii.
TREVOR HUGHES, USA TODAY

A woman takes a photo as an ash plume rises from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island May 15, 2018 in Volcano, Hawaii. The U.S. Geological Survey said a recent lowering of the lava lake at the volcano's Halemaumau crater 'has raised the potential for explosive eruptions' at the volcano.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

An ash plume rises from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 15, 2018 in Volcano, Hawaii. The U.S. Geological Survey said a recent lowering of the lava lake at the volcano's Halemaumau crater 'has raised the potential for explosive eruptions' at the volcano.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

Ti leaves and a bottle of alcohol are left as offerings to the Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire, on a hardened lava flow from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 15, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. The section of the hardened lava flow marks the point where lava stopped flowing towards the town in 2014, saving the town from destruction. The U.S. Geological Survey said a recent lowering of the lava lake at the volcano's Halemaumau crater Òhas raised the potential for explosive eruptionsÓ at the volcano.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

A sign at the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park tells visitors the park is closed due to concerns about a potential eruption of the Kilauea volcano inside the park on Hawaii's Big Island on May 14, 2018. Park law enforcement officers are strictly enforcing a ban on people even parking in this area over safety concerns.
TREVOR HUGHES/USA TODAY

The Puna Geothermal Venture power plant sits in the jungle near the lava flows running through the Leilani Estates neighborhood. Area residents worried the geothermal plant would be damaged by the lava, setting ablaze the liquid used to transfer heat energy to the generators.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Backed by the towering cloud of smoke and steam, the Pahoa Chiropractic Center proudly tells residents that the doctor has no plans to leave despite the mandatory evacuation of a nearby neighborhood.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

An old road that once ran to a now-destroyed neighborhood near Pahoa, Hawaii is slowly disappearing into the jungle after it was partially covered with lava and abandoned in a decades-ago lava flow.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

This is an aerial view of the 1000-foot long fissure that erupted on Kilauea's east rift zone near Pahoa, Hawaii on May 13, 2018. Ground cracks and seismicity indicate a continued easterly migration. Eighteen fissures have been reported in and around Leilani Estates. Kilauea is the most active volcano on the Hawaii's Big Island and some experts predict the volcanic activity could cause a massive explosion.
Bruce Omori, Paradise Helicopters, via EPA-EFE

Gases rise from lava fissure 17 after it erupted early on May 13 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. The new fissure spurred Hawaii officials to call for more evacuations on Sunday as residents braced for an expected eruption from the Kilauea volcano.
Caleb Jones, AP

Lava flows at a new fissure in the aftermath of eruptions from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island as a local resident walks nearby after taking photos on May 12, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. The U.S. Geological Survey said a recent lowering of the lava lake at the volcano's Halemaumau crater Òhas raised the potential for explosive eruptionsÓ at the volcano. Authorities have confirmed the fissure is the 16th to open.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

A handout photo made available by the Hawaii County Fire Department shows and aerial view of fissure 16 ,bottom, located about 1.3 km northeast of fissure 15, top left, near Leilani Estate, Hawaii on May 12, 2018. Sixteen fissures have been reported in and around Leilani Estate. Kilauea is the most active volcano on the Hawaii's Big Island and some experts predict the volcanic activity could cause a massive explosion in the coming weeks.
HAWAII COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT/EPA-EFE

Center lane lines are partially visible along the lava-covered road in the Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa, Hawaii. Kilauea has destroyed more than 35 structures since it began releasing lava from vents about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of the summit crater.
Jae C. Hong, AP

Fissures continue to vent an extraordinary amount of toxic gases, creating hazardous breathing conditions in the immediate and downwind areas, Pahoa, Hawaii. There has been no volcanic activity within the Leilani Estates subdivision for the past day, although geologists warn that it is not over.
Bruce Omori/Paradise Helicopters, EPA-EFE

An aerial view shows smoke and burned areas as eruptions continued overnight within the Leilani Estates subdivision, in Pahoa, Hawaii on May 9, 2018. Although activity this morning has waned, geologists warn that it is not over. Fissures also continue to vent an extraordinary amount of toxic gases, creating hazardous breathing conditions in the immediate and downwind areas.
BRUCE OMORI/PARADISE HELICOPTERS/EPA-EFE

An aerial view shows a flow covered a street before coming to a stop, and ground cracks litter the area as eruptions continued overnight within the Leilani Estates subdivision, in Pahoa, Hawaii on May 9, 2018. Although activity this morning has waned, geologists warn that it is not over. Fissures also continue to vent an extraordinary amount of toxic gases, creating hazardous breathing conditions in the immediate and downwind areas.
BRUCE OMORI/PARADISE HELICOPTERS/EPA-EFE

An aerial view shows smoke and burned areas as eruptions continued overnight within the Leilani Estates subdivision, in Pahoa, Hawaii on May 9, 2018. Although activity this morning has waned, geologists warn that it is not over. Fissures also continue to vent an extraordinary amount of toxic gases, creating hazardous breathing conditions in the immediate and downwind areas.
BRUCE OMORI/PARADISE HELICOPTERS/EPA-EFE

Park visitors gather as volcanic gases rise from the Halemaumau crater within the Kilauea volcano summit caldera at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on May 9, 2018 in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. The volcano has spewed lava and high levels of sulfur dioxide gas into communities, leading officials to order 1,700 to evacuate. Officials have confirmed 26 homes have now been destroyed by lava in Leilani Estates.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

An ash plume rises from the Halemaumau crater within the Kilauea volcano summit caldera at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on May 9, 2018 in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

This image obtained May 9, 2018, released by the US Geological Survey shows a lava flow moving on Makamae Street in Leilani Estates at 09:32 am local time, on May 6, 2018 in Leilani Estates, Hawaii.The Kilauea Volcano, the most active in Hawaii, was highly unstable on May 6, 2018, as lava spouted into the air and fissures emitted deadly gases -- hazards that have forced thousands of people to evacuate.
US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Steam and sulfur rises from cracks in Moku Street at the head of a driveway in Leilani Estates on May 8, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii. Police have gone door-to-door to evacuate residents near two new vents emitting dangerous volcanic gases in Hawaii. The vents emerged near the spots where lava has been pouring into streets and backyards for the past week.
HOLLYN JOHNSON/HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD via AP

A fissure erupts near the intersection of Kahukai Street and Leilani Avenue in Leilani Estates on May 8, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii. Hawaii County officials issued mandatory evacuation orders for two neighborhoods, Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens, on Thursday when the lava first emerged. There are 14 lava-producing fissures in Leilani Estates, after two new ones formed Tuesday.
HOLLYN JOHNSON/HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD via AP

Roy Piper, visiting from Canterbury, Conn., takes pictures as volcanic gases are emitted into the air on May 8, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii. Hawaii County officials have issued a cellphone alert warning residents of a subdivision to immediately evacuate after two new lava fissures opened in a neighboring community.
JAE C. HONG/AP

Volunteer Jasmine Kupihea, facing camera, hugs a local resident affected by the lava flow at a makeshift donation center on May 8, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii. Hawaii County officials have issued a cellphone alert warning residents of a subdivision to immediately evacuate after two new lava fissures opened in a neighboring community.
JAE C. HONG/AP

Evacuee Jon Warner, left, walks through rain with son Ethan, right, and daughter Iris after picking up some basic necessities at a makeshift donation center on May 8, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii. "We've never seen anything like that before," said Warner. "I don't know if I ever want to go back."
JAE C. HONG/AP

In this Tuesday, May 8, 2018 photo from the U.S. Geological Survey, a geologist examines a part of the inactive fissure 10 in Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa on the island of Hawaii.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY via AP

U.S. Army National Guard First Lt. Aaron Hew Len takes measurements for sulfur dioxide gas at volcanic fissures in the Leilani Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of eruptions from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 8, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii. The volcano has spewed lava and high levels of sulfur dioxide gas into communities, leading officials to order 1,700 to evacuate. Leilani Estates residents have been allowed to return during the day to inspect property and remove belongings. Officials have confirmed 26 homes have now been destroyed by lava in Leilani Estates.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

U.S. Army National Guard First Lt. Aaron Hew Len takes measurements for dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide gas in front of a lava flow and downed power lines on a residential street in the Leilani Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of eruptions from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 8, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

A resident waits to see if it is possible to cross a street with fissures in the Leilani Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of eruptions from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 8, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

A lava flow sits on the lawn of a home in the Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa, Hawaii on May 8, 2018. Scientists confirm that volcanic activity has paused at all 12 fissures that opened up in a Hawaii community and oozed lava that burned 35 structures. Officials warn that hazardous fumes continue to be released from the cracks in the ground.
CALEB JONES/AP

Staff sergeant Jake Kiyohiro of the Hawaii National Guard takes gas readings on May 7, 2018 at Leilani Estates in Pahoa, Hawaii island. Lava has now destroyed 30 structures, most of which are homes, as residents gathered belongings and animals with an uncertainty that they would return to a home at all.
JAMM AQUINO/THE STAR-ADVERTISER VIA AP

In this Saturday, May 5, 2018, photo, Edwin Montoya, 76, feeds his dogs at a campsite near his home near Pahoa, Hawaii. Just a couple of miles up the hill, lava has been gushing from the ground and destroying dozens of homes as new eruptions and earthquakes have rattled the region. His property is within the mandatory evacuation zone, but Montoya, who was finally able to get back to the farm on Saturday afternoon, plans to stay there unless he is forced to leave. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia) ORG XMIT: HIMG101
Marco Garcia, AP

Lava from a robust fissure eruption on Kilauea's east rift zone consumes a home, then threatens another, near Pahoa, Hawaii, May 6, 2018. The total number of homes lost within the Leilani Estates subdivision thus far is 21, and geologists from the Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory do not expect the eruption to cease any time soon. A local state of emergency has been declared after Mount Kilauea erupted near residential areas, forcing mandatory evacuation of about 1,700 citizens from their nearby homes. The crater's floor collapsed on May 1 and is continuing to erode its walls and generating huge explosions of ashes. Several earthquakes have been recorded in the area where the volcanic eruptions continue, including a 6.9 magnitue earthquake which struck the area on May 4.
BRUCE OMORI / PARADISE HELICOPTERS/EPA-EFE

Visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park take in a view of Kilauea volcano's crater on Hawaii's Big Island south of Hilo, May 7, 2018 where lava flowed out of until the May 4 earthquake when it sank back in.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

This May 6, 2018 photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the lava lake at the summit of Kilauea near Pahoa, Hawaii. Hawaii's erupting Kilauea volcano has destroyed homes and forced the evacuations of more than a thousand people.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY VIA AP

Volcanic activity continues on Kilauea's east rift zone, as a robust fissure eruption in Leilani Estates sends a massive flow into the subdivision, consuming all in its path, near Pahoa, Hawaii, May 6, 2018.
BRUCE OMORI / PARADISE HELICOPTERS/EPA-EFE

Activity continues as a fissure eruption fountains more than 100 feet into the air near Pahoa, Hawaii, May 6, 2018. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists have not been able to forecast an end to the eruption.
BRUCE OMORI / PARADISE HELICOPTERS/EPA-EFE

Laura Dawn is seen in her truck loaded with her possessions as she and her husband flee the lava eruption, May 6, 2018, near Pahoa, Hawaii. Their property is just below the active lava eruption and they fear their land will get covered in lava. They are moving further upcoast to a safer area.
MARCO GARCIA/AP

A plume of volcanic gas mixed with smoke from fires caused by lava rises (C) amidst clouds in the Leilani Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of eruptions from the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 6, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, HVO geologists collect samples of spatter for laboratory analysis near the intersection of Malama and Pomaikai Streets after the eruption of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on May 6, 2018 in the Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa, Hawaii.
HANDOUT/U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY VIA GETTY IMAGES

A helicopter flies above destruction amidst advancing lava in the Leilani Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of eruptions from the the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island on May 6, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

National Guard vehicles prepare to head toward Leilani Estates as authorities allowed residents back to gather their belongings and head back out on May 6, 2018 near the town of Pahoa on the south side of Hawaii's Big Island, following a series of earthquakes and concern over toxic fumes from Sulphur Dioxide.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Residents jam a street after being allowed to briefly return home to check on belongings and pets in an evacuation zone near volcanic activity on Hawaii's Big Island on May 6, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii.
MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

This image released by the US Geological Survey shows a volcanic fissure with lava fountains as high as about 230 ft in Leilani Estates, Hawaii, on May 5, 2018.
HANDOUT/U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY VIA AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Police men stand at a roadblock to Leilani Estates south of Hi-Lo on Hawaii island on May 5, 2018, after residents were told to evacuate.A magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook Hawaii's Big Island, prompting fresh eruptions of a volcano that has been spewing lava near residential areas, forcing hundreds of people to flee.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

A firefighter takes photos near steam rising from a fissure in Leilani Estates subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island on May 4, 2018.
Up to 10,000 people have been asked to leave their homes on Hawaii's Big Island following the eruption of the Kilauea volcano that came after a series of recent earthquakes.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Residents from the lava affected areas attend a community meeting at Pahoa High School on May 4, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii. Community leaders, scientists, and local authorities answers questions about the lava eruption and evacuation plans.
MARCO GARCIA/AP

Residents from the lava affected areas of the Big Island hold a prayer before the start of a community meeting with local authorities at Pahoa High School on May 4, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii.
MARCO GARCIA/AP

Lt. Col. Bill Flynn of the Hawaii National Guard speaks at a community meeting at Pahoa High School on May 4, 2018, in Pahoa, Hawaii. Community leaders, scientists, and local authorities answered questions about the lava eruption and evacuation plans.
MARCO GARCIA/AP

A woman tries to talk to a national guardsmen to gain entry to the Leilani Estates, Friday, in Pahoa, Hawaii. A mandatory evacuation forced many residents to flee their homes due to a nearby lava eruption.
Marco Garcia, AP

In this image released by the U.S. Geological Survey, steam rises from cracks in the road shortly before a fissure opened up on Kaupili Street in the Leilani Estates subdivision, Friday, in Pahoa, Hawaii. The Kilauea volcano sent more lava into Hawaii communities Friday, a day after forcing more than 1,500 people to flee from their mountainside homes, and authorities detected high levels of sulfur gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems.
(U.S. Geological Survey via AP) ORG XMIT: NY171
AP

A new lava fissure on Kilauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Makamae and Leilani Streets can be seen in the Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa, Hawaii. Spatter was being thrown roughly 100 ffeet high at the time of this image.
U.S. Geolgogical Survey via AP, AP

A shake map indicates the location of a preliminary magnitude 5.4 earthquake near Leilani Estates, Hawaii, USA. Several earthquakes have been recorded in the area where a volcanic eruptions continue. No immediate reports of damage or injuries caused by the earthquakes.
HANDOUT, EPA-EFE

Results from the eruption of Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island can be seen Friday. The eruption sent molten lava through forests and bubbling up from paved streets and forced the evacuation of about 1,500 people who were still out of their homes Friday after Thursday's eruption.
Shane Turpin/seeLava.com via AP

Mary Ann Sullivan, 59, looks at her belongings and her cat she pulled from her home after a mandatory evacuation of the Leilani Estates due to a lava eruption, Friday, in Pahoa, HI. The eruption took place about a block from Sullivan's home. Sullivan and her husband spent the night at a nearby shelter and does not know when they will be able to return.
Marco Garcia, AP

National guardsmen and police stand at the entrance to Leilani Estates, in Pahoa, Hawaii. A mandatory evacuation for the area as declared by the state. Due to unsafe conditions in the area from the recent lava eruption, residents who evacuated could not return to their homes Friday.
Marco Garcia, AP

After being forced out of his home at the Leilani Estates due to a mandatory evacuation, Tim Sullivan, 61, sits in his pickup truck near a local shelter, Friday, May 4, 2018, in Pahoa, HI. The eruption took place about a block from Sullivan's home. He and his wife spent the night at a nearby shelter and does not know when they will be able to return.
Marco Garcia, AP

This photo provided by Hawaii Electric Light shows lava flowing over Mohala Street in the Leilani Estates area near Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii. Nearly 1,500 people have fled from their homes after Hawaii's Kilauea volcano sent molten lava chewing through forests and bubbling up on paved streets in an eruption that one resident described as "a curtain of fire." (Hawaii Electric Light via AP) ORG XMIT: LA508
Hawaii Electric Light via AP

A road is cracked after the eruption from Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island Friday, May 4, 2018. The Kilauea volcano sent more lava into Hawaii communities Friday, a day after forcing nearly 1,500 people to flee from their mountainside homes, and authorities detected high levels of sulfur gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems.
Shane Turpin via AP

“I’ve been around a very long time, and I know this is different,” said Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim, who was born in 1939, 20 years before Hawaii became a state.

Anxious area residents are facing the possibility the lava flows won't end anytime soon. The latest episode of activity began May 3, and the flow has been oozing slowly downhill ever since, primarily through the Leilani Estates neighborhood.

Monday, the flows reached the Lanipuna Gardens area near Pohoiki Road, and authorities strongly urged anyone in the area to leave.

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People stock up on supplies as Hawaiian volcano smolders.
Newslook

Also on Monday, authorities announced they had removed a large amount of flammable liquid stored at a geothermal electric plant in the lava's potential flow path. The plant pumps the liquid underground to generate steam to make electricity, but the wells are being filled with water and capped so they don't pose any additional danger during the flow.

The moving lava prompted authorities to close new roads in the area and restrict access to residents and farmers. National Guard troops are staffing checkpoints, and police are conducting roving patrols to reduce the risk of looting. One man has already been charged with looting and faces unusually stiff felony charges under an emergency order.

Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has been erupting on and off for hundreds of thousands of years and has been has been erupting continuously since 1983 with only occasional pauses of quiet activity.

The lava occasionally flows into the ocean, expanding the boundaries of the Big Island and providing breathtaking views for tourists. Kilauea itself might also belch steam, gas and rocks into the air at any time, scientists said.

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AP reporter Sophia Yan says some residents of Hawaii's Big Island have been forced into evacuation shelters. Some worry about an energy plant that had housed 50,000 gallons of flammable material and some residents of Hawaii's largest island are untouched by the lava's damage. (May 11)
AP